€hap.V. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 39 



CHAP. V. 



Nothing can exijl without a caiifc: — A frjl caufe therefore necejfary. 

 Inquiry into the caufe of the world. — This caufe mufl be felf-exijient 



neceffarily exifcnt — eternal^ and unchangeable, — Such a caufe 



mitf be mind^ihe efficient caufe of the world. — But a material caufe 

 as neceffary as an efficient; — alfo a formal caufe and a final. — The 

 material world from all eternity^ according to Ariflotle ; — with 

 whom the author coincides. — Reafons urged for this opinion^ — and 

 -objeElions fated and anfwered. 



IN the preceding chapter I have fliown, that this material world, 

 from which I am to prove the exiftence of the fupreme being, 

 contains many different minds, by which all the various motions in 

 it are performed. It is alfo compofed of very many bodies of dif- 

 ferent kinds : and I am now to inquire what caufe has produced 

 this wonderful compofition of minds and bodies. 



That nothing can exifl; without a caufe, is an axiom of phllofo- 

 phy, the truth of which never was difputed : And it is as certain, 

 that there muft be a firft caufe of the exiftence of every thing ; for 

 if there were to be caufes of caufes, in irtfnitum^ there would truly 

 be no firft caufe at all. The queftlon then is, What is the firft caufe 

 which has produced and fet agoing all that variety of fubaltern 

 caufes, the effeds of which fall under our obfervation ? And that 

 muft be a caufe not produced from any other caufe, and which, 

 therefore, is felf-exiftent. It muft alfo have a neceffary and eternal 



exiftence, 



